Barrel chair



Patented Aug. 18, 1953 UNITED STATES :PATENT OFFICE Washington, Conn.

Application November 28, 1947, Serial No. 7 88,352

10 Claims.

This invention relates to an article of furniture and has particularrelation to a barrel type chair which is formed by shaping a stamped andcut planar sheet of material and securing said thus bent and shapedmaterial into chair form.

The advantages and objects of the invention will be apparent from areading of the ensuing description which is given in connection with thefollowing drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a chairembodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the manner of cutting and stamping amaterial sheet intended to be bent and shaped into the chair of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of another chair embodying the hereinafterdescribed invention; and

Fig. 4 is a plan View of the sheet of material which is stamped and outto be bent and shaped to eventuate the chair of Fig. 3.

The chair of Fig. 1 comprises rear legs ii) and H and front legs l2 and13. The chair has a solid barrel-shaped back M and solid side portions[5 and it. The seat is of lattice formation, the lattice members ll, l8,l9 and 20 on the right-hand side thereof (viewed from the front of thechair) and members 2|, 22, 23 and 24 on the left-hand side being bentout respectively from the solid portions 56 and [5, respectively.Additional lattice members, i. e. members 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 and 38 arebent out from the rear solid portion.

The free ends (the ends opposite to the hinged ends) of the latticemembers H to 30, inclusive, are secured to a central reinforcing member35 by Welding or otherwise; for instance, the free ends of these latticemembers may be tucked into a slot formed on the under side of member 3i.It is not therefore to be understood that the mention of welding as adesirable means of securing the free ends of these lattice members tothe supporting member 3! is restrictive of what can be done inaccordance with present invention. The front end of member 3! is bentdownwardly at 32 to overlie and secure in the ends of chair frontforming members 33 and 34 which latter are bent from the side portionsl5 and H5, respectively, just inside of the front leg members.

The blank sheet of material from which the chair of Fig. 1 is for-med isillustrated in Fig. 2, this sheet being stamped and out along theindicated lines. The dotted line at the bottom indicates the originalboundary of that portion of the sheet and. the shaded area designatesthe material which is freed from the blank by the indicated cutting andwhich is discarded prior to the bending of the material to form thechair. It will further be noted that double scores lflb, l lb, 121) andi322 are formed in the portions which are to constitute the four legmembers. These scored portions extend up into the barrel body of thechair for purposes to be hereinafter described.

The chair of Fig. 1 is formed from the stamped and cut sheet blank ofFig. 2 by bowing the sheet about the indicated center line. The seatforzning strips IT to 30 are then hingedly bent into horizontal positionas are also members 33 and 3 5. The free ends of all of the thus bentstrips may be secured to the immediately adjacent free end of a similarstrip to eventuate an integrally formed chair seat. The joinder of thefree ends of 33 and 34 determines the over-all transverse dimension ofthe front portion of the chair.

However, as shown in Fig. 1 it is at times desirable, not only to addstrength to the structure but also to form a more pleasing and artisticdesign, to use a separate supporting strip 3i. The front portion 32 ofthis strip is bent forwardly and downwardly to embrace the free ends of33 and 34. Thus the joinder of said free ends 33 and 3&- is made on theinside of the tongue portion 32 with resultant advantage both from theartistic and structural standpoints. The free ends of the other seatforming strips are also secured to the under side of the member 31.

The scored portions iilb, Mb, 122), [3b enable the bending of the legportions if desired or in any event furnish a desirable feature from thestandpoint of appearance. Moreover the bottoms of the leg members It,ll, l2, l3 can be stamped in hemispheric form and then turned into fiatleg ends as shown at Eta, Ha, 2a, [3a if desired. Such stamping is notshown on Fig. 2 having been carried out in the particular structureshown at a later time. It is to be understood, however, that the blankmay be initially stamped to provide for such leg end formations.

Moreover it will be noted that the shape of the frontmost seat formingstrips 33 and 3 5 pen mits them to be rounded and bent into asubstantial cross section in the points where the ends thereof areembraced and secured under the forward tongue 32 of member 3!.

Whereas the chair in Fig. 1 is formed from a blank as shown in Fig. 2,it is possible because of the conception herein disclosed to form abarrel type chair from a sheet of appreciably less square footage. Sucha chair and the sheet comprising the basis thereof are shown in Figs.

3 and 4. It will be noted that the back and sides of the chair are notsolid inasmuch as both the leg portions and the seat portions arestamped out of and bent from a sheet of material which is comparativelymarkedly narrower than the sheet used to form the Fig. 1 chair (seerelative areas of material sheets in Figs. 2 and 4).

The chair of Fig. 3 comprises rear leg members 50 and 5| and front legmembers 52'and 53, apertured side portions 54 and 55, an apertured backportion 56 and a lattice type seat portion, all of the foregoingstructure being supported by said leg members 50 to 53. The seat portionof the chair comprises a plurality of seat forming strips 56, 51, 58,59, 60, 6|, 62, 63, 64, 65 and BB'and the front of the chair comprisescombined seat and front members 61 and 68. The free ends of all of theseat members are secured to the underside of a central support andsecuring member BQ which has a forwardly and downwardly extending tongueportion '10. As will hereinafter be further explained the seat formingstrips 5B66 and the leg members 50 and 5| are bent hingedly out of theback and side portions of the chair to eventuate a series of verticalrelatively narrow openings in said sides and back.

Fig. 4 illustrates the manner of stamping and cutting a sheet which isto be shaped into the Fig. 3 chair. It will be observed that no shadedto-bediscarded portions are indicated wherefrom it follows that verylittle material is wasted in forming a Fig. 3 chair. The numeralsdesignate the same portions in the Fig. 4 sheet illustration as they doin the completed chair of Fig. 3. The dotted lines on Fig. 4 indicatethe lines along which certain members are hinged and/or folded to formthe Fig, 3 structure.

Here again the sheet is originally bowed about the vertically extendingcenterline and the various cut-out strips are then turned hingedly outof their originally formed position. The seat forming strips 5B65 areturned into a horizontal position. The leg members 50-53 inclusive arebent 180 from their original cut-out position. It will be observed thatthe rear legs 50 and 5| are provided with folding scores close to thevertically extending edges thereof. This permits the formation of therear legs as may best be observed in connection with leg 5| in Fig. 3.

The front legs 52 and 53 are scored near that vertical edge thereofwhich will be at the front of the completed chair thereby to permit the90 folding of a narrow portion as shown in Fig. 3. Incidentally it willbe noted that the front leg members 52-53 are cut somewhat longer thanthe rear leg members 505| thereby to provide additional material fromwhich to form a hemispherical foot and which will also make the frontlegs suificiently longer than the rear legs so as to cause a slightbackward tilt of the seat portion of the chair.

As the seat members 56 to 66 are folded downwardly into the horizontalposition so also are the front members Bl and 68. Those portions of Eland 58 which are closest to the leg members 52 and 53 (indicated as 61aand 68a) are wider at their free ends than they are at the points aboutwhich they are hingedly swung into horizontal position. Score lines areformed between 61 and 61a, and between 58 and 68a. Moreover at thebottoms of each of these portions 61 and 68 cut-outs 51b and 68b producelower tabs 61c and 680 which are foldable about the illustrated scorelines, in the hereafter explained manner. Reference to Fig. 3 willillustrate the manner in which the entire portions 61 and 68 are firstfolded unitarily into horizontal position, thereafter the portions 61aand 6801. with the accompanying tabs 61c and 680 are folded about thescore line into such position that the plane of 61 and B8 is vertical.Finally the tabs 61c and 680 are bent backwardly and if desired tuckedunder the downwardly extending legs 52 and 53. The supporting member61-68 is then placed over and secured to the free ends of the thushingedly disposed members.

While we have shown particular embodiments of our invention, it will beunderstood, of course, that we do not wish to be limited thereto sincemany modifications may be made, and we, therefore, contemplate by theappended claims to cover any such modifications as fall within the truespirit and scope of our invention.

Having thus described our invention, what We claim and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

1. A chair having side, back, leg and seat portions formed from anintegral piece of sheet material, said side and said back portionscomprising the main body of said sheet material, said leg portionscomprising integral members depending from said main body, and said seatportion comprising a plurality of spaced members extending inwardly andtoward each other from the surfaces of said side portions and said bodyportion, said spaced members being secured together adjacent their innerends.

2. A chair having side and back portions integrally formed from a singlepiece of sheet material having a cylindrical surface about asubstantially vertical axis and having a lower edge, leg portionsintegral with said sheet material and depending from said edge, and aseat portion comprising a plurality of members also integral with saidsheet material and extending inwardly and toward each other from thesurfaces of said side portions and back portion, said members beingsecured together adjacent their inner ends.

3 A chair having side and back portions integrally formed from a singlepiece of sheet material having a cylindrical surface about asubstantially vertical axis and having a lower edge, leg portionsintegral with said sheet material and depending from said edge, and aseat portion comprising a plurality of spaced members also integral withsaid sheet material and extending out of the surface thereof inwardlyand toward each other from said side and said back portions, said stripsbeing secured together adjacent their inner ends.

4. The chair recited in claim 3 wherein a pair of said spaced membersforming the front edge of said seat portion include a downwardlyextending flange.

5. A chair having side and back portions integrally formed from a singlepiece of sheet material into a substantially U-shaped cross-sectionalconfiguration about a substantially vertical axis and having a loweredge, leg portions integral with said sheet material and depending fromsaid edge, and a seat portion comprising a central reinforcing memberand a plurality of fiat spaced members also integral with said sheetmaterial and extending out of the plane thereof but in a substantiallycommon plane inwardly and generally radially toward each other from saidside and said back portions, the inner ends of said spaced members beingsecured to the under surface of said reinforcing member.

6. A chair having side and back portions integrally formed from a singlepiece of sheet material about a substantially vertical axis and having alower edge, leg portions integral with said sheet material and dependingfrom and forming a continuation of said edge, and a seat portioncomprising a plurality of spaced strips also integral with said sheetmaterial and each forming a continuation of said edge extending upwardlyand inwardly toward each other from said lower edge, the inner ends ofsaid strips being secured together.

7. A chair having side and back portions integrally formed from a singlepiece of sheet material of substantially U-shaped configuration about asubstantially vertical axis and having continuous upper and lower edgeportions, leg members struck out from a central area of said sheetmaterial and extending downwardly in a substantially vertical directionfrom said lower edge portion, a plurality of spaced strips also struckout from a central area of said sheet material forming a plurality ofspaced apertures in said side and back portions terminating adjacentsaid continuous upper and lower edge portions, said strips beingintegral with said sheet adjacent said lower edge portion and extendinginwardly therefrom toward each other, said strips being secured togetherat their free inner ends to form a seat for said chair.

8. The method of forming a chair from a single sheet of material whichcomprises cutting said sheet to eventuate side portions, a back portion,leg portions and a plurality of spaced seat members cooperating to forma seat portion, bending the cut sheet about an axis substantiallyparallel to the sheet and substantially vertical to the resulting seatportion, thereafter bending said seat members inwardly toward each otherand generally toward said axis, and then securing the inner ends of saidseat members to a centrally located reinforcing strip intersecting saidaxis to form said seat portion.

9. The method of forming a chair from a single sheet of material whichcomprises cutting said sheet to eventuate a back portion and sideportions having a lower peripheral edge and having a plurality of spacedleg portions and a plurality of spaced seat members depending from saidedge and constituting a continuation of said sheet, bending the cutsheet about an axis spaced from and substantially perpendicular to theplane of said edge portion whereby said edge portion assumes a generallyU-shaped configuration, thereafter bending said spaced seat membersupwardly and inwardly toward each other, and then securing the innerends of said seat members to a centrally located reinforcing stripintersecting said axis to form a seat portion for said chair.

10. The method of forming a chair from a single sheet of material whichcomprises cutting said sheet to eventuate a back portion and sideportions having a lower peripheral edge and to eventuate leg portionsand seat members within the area of said sheet constituting said backand side portions, said leg portions and seat members being severed fromsaid sheet except at adjac'ent said lower peripheral edge, bending thecut sheet about an axis spaced from and perpendicular to said edgeportion whereby said edge portion assumes a generally U-shapedconfiguration with said leg portions and said seat members remainingwithin the area of the bent sheet, thereafter bending said leg portionsabout out of the plane of said area to form legs extending downwardlyfrom said edge and bending said seat members inwardly toward each other,and then securing the inner ends of said seat members to a centrallylocated reinforcing strip intersecting said axis to form a seat portionfor said chair.

ROY S. SANFORD. PAUL F. SIMPSON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 840,577 Moore Jan. 8, 1907 1,431,607 Vossberg Oct. 10, 19221,722,177 C'ombemale July 23, 1929 1,724,894 Batie Aug. 20, 19291,963,835 DeLand June 19, 1934 2,215,540 Breuer Sept. 24, 1940 2,303,039Gilkison Nov. 24, 1942 2,408,778 Huppert Oct. 8, 1946 2,411,301 StanitzNov. 19, 1946 2,476,948 Sanford July 19, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS NumberCountry Date 78,771 Austria Apr. 15, 1919 92,470 Australia May 11, 1923654,651 France Nov. 29, 1928 234,907 Germany May 26, 1911 469,396 GreatBritain Sept. 18, 1936

